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March 17, 1964 J MARGUUS 3,125,310

UNWIND STAND Filed Sept. 4, 1962 INVENTOR. JOSEPH M MARGUL/S a/zlpzf ieATTORNEY United States Patent 3,125,310 UNWIND STAND Joseph M. Margulis,Jiffy Enterprises, Inc., 150 N. 13th St, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept.4, 1962, Ser. No. 220,994 10 Claims. (Cl. 242-553) This inventionrelates to an unwind stand and, more particularly, to an unwind standincorporating a storage means for reels of ribbon-like material adaptedto be un- Wound.

Heretofore, the commercially available unwind stands were of the typewhich facilitated the unwinding of one reel at a time. When one reel hadbeen completely unwound, it was necessary to remove a core thereof andsubstitute a new reel to be unwound. The machinery adapted to receivethe ribbon-like material is inoperative While the reels are beingchanged. This results in a material down time.

The unwind stand of the present invention incorporates a storage meansfor storing a large number of coreless reels which are to be unwound. Arotatably mounted hub is provided for supporting the reel which is beingunwound at any particular time. As soon as the reel is unwound, a newreel is shifted from the storage means onto the hub. Thereafter, thefree end of the previously unwound reel may be connected to the leadingend of the reel to be unwound. I have found that the present inventionsubstantially reduces the down time of the machinery and eliminates asubstantial amount of material handling associated with changing andmoving reels.

For ease in maneuverability, the unwind stand of the present inventionmay have a frame mounted on wheels so as to be a mobile unwind stand. Ifdesired, the frame may be provided with a braking device to prevent theunwind stand from moving during the unwinding operation. Preferably, aplurality of unwind stands are utilized sequentially so that a fullyloaded unwind stand may be substituted for an unwind stand on which allof the reels have been unwound.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel unwindstand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwindstand having a storage means for reels to be unwound.

t is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwindstand which facilitates more rapid unwinding of reels with minimum downtime. I

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwindstand for coreless reels of ribbon-like material.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the unwind stand of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation view of the unwind stand illustrated inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 44 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 55 in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate likeelements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 an unwind stand designatedgenerally as 10. The unwind stand includes a frame 12. The frame 12 isrectangular in shape and is provided with a wheel 14 at each cornerthereof. A foot-operated braking device 16 is provided on the frame 12to maintain the frame 12 in any predetermined position on a floor.

The frame 12 supports an upright standard 18. A pair of reinforcingstruts 20 and 22 interconnect the frame 12 and the standard 13. Thestandard 18 is preferably a channel member which is U-shaped intransverse cross section. The frame 12 is provided with a handle 24. Thelower end of the handle 24 is bifurcated and pivotably connected to theframe 12. The upper end of the handle 24 is releasably embraced by abracket 25 on the standard 18.

The standard 18 supports an arm 26 in cantilever fashion therefrom. Thearm 26 is part of a storage means for supporting reels to be unwound.Such storage means includes a semicylindrical support member 28 disposedabove the arm 26 and interconnected therewith by a strut 27.

A pair of angle iron plates 39 and 32 are secured to opposite sides ofthe standard 13 at the upper end thereof. A pair of rollers 34 isrotatably supported by the plate 30. A pair of rollers 36 is rotatablysupported by the plate 32. The axes of rotation for the rollers 34 and36 form the four corners of a square.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the standard 18 is spaced from themember 28 for a sufficient distance so as to enable a hub 38 to berotatably supported therebetween by the rollers 34 and 36. The hub 38 ispreferably a pair of rings interconnected at spaced peripheral points bystruts. The hub 38 is provided with first and second sets of guidemembers 40 and 42.

The first set of guide members 40 includes a plurality of U-shapedmembers having their free ends secured to the outer peripheral surfaceof the hub 38. Each of the U-shaped members lies in a single plane.Preferably, the free ends of the U-shaped members of the set 46 arefixedly secured to the hub 38. The second set 42 of U-shaped memberslies in a second plane spaced from the first-mentioned plane therebydefining a channel within which a reel will be disposed when the reel isbeing unwound. The free ends of the U-shaped members of the set 42 arepreferably removably interconnected with the hub 33. As shown moreclearly in FIGURE 4, the free ends of the U-shaped members of set 42extend through holes in the hub 38.

While each of the sets 4% and 42 is illustrated as comprising four setsof U-shaped members, a greater or lesser number of such members may beprovided as desired. A plurality of levers 44 are pivotably supportedfrom the frame 38 at spaced points therearound by pivot pins 46. Asshown more clearly in FIGURE 4, one end of a link 48 is pivotablyconnected to each arm 44. The other end of link 48 is connected to aspring 50. The opposite end of spring 50 is connected to an car 52 onthe hub 38.

The lever 44 is connected to one end of the pivot pin 46 as shown moreclearly in FIGURE 5. A cam 54 is connected to the other end of pin 46.In the position of lever 44 in FIGURE 4, the cam 54 is between the innerand outer rings of the hub 3%. When the lever 44 is rotated in thedirection of the arrow 45 in FIGURE 4, to a position beyond top deadcenter where it will remain, the cam 54 will be in an inactive position.The spring 50 biases lever 44 and cam 54 to a position wherein cam 54extends radially outwardly for contact with a reel 56.

The unwind stand of the present invention is utilized as follows:

Preferably a pair of unwind stands is utilized in conjunction with oneanother for supplying ribbon-like ma terial to any one of a wide varietyof devices. While one unwind stand is associated with the device, asecond unwind stand is being loaded. When an unwind stand is loaded, aplurality of coreless reels 56 of ribbon-like material will be supportedby the member 28 and one of the reels 56 will be between the sets ofguide members 46 and 42, as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3. When thereel 56 between the guide members 49 and 42 is unwound, the free endthereof will be held and a new reel will be placed between the guidemembers 43 and 42. In order to place a new reel 56 from the supply onmember 28, each of the U-shaped members of the set 42 will be removed.

The members of the set 42 will be removed by squeezing the free endstowards each other and then removing the members in a radially outwardlydirection. Each lever 44 will be rotated in a counterclockwise directionin FIGURE 2 to place the cams 54 in their inactive positions. Since theouter peripheral diameter of the hub 38 is in line with the outerperipheral surface on the member 28 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3,the next adjacent reel 56 will be reciprocated to a position juxtaposedto the guide members of set 40. Thereafter, the guide members of set 42will be replaced and the levers 44 will be rotated to the solid lineposition in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the tape or other material preventingthe unwinding of the coreless reels will be removed and the free end ofthe newly replaced reel will be connected to the free end of thepreviously unwound reel.

As soon as one of the reels 56 is unwound, a new reel will be moved fromthe member 28 to a position between the guide members of the sets 40 and42. By providing an unwind stand having a storage means thereon foraccommodating a large number of reels of ribbon-like material, thenecessity for having a large number of unwind stands and reel cores iseliminated. Further, the conversion from one reel to another may beaccomplished in a rapid, efficient manner. As soon as all the reels 56on the unwind stand 110 have been unwound, the unwind stand may bepulled by means of handle 24 to a loading position and a new unwindstand 10 placed in a position to feed ribbon-like material to theconsuming device.

While a reel is being unwound, the springs 50 bias the earns 54 whereinthey project radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the hub 33 andcontact the inner peripheral surface of the reel 56 to prevent relativerotative movement between the reel 56 and the hub 38.

The consuming device may be any one of a wide variety of devices adaptedto utilize ribbon-like material. The ribbon-like material of the reels56 may be fabric, sheet metal, plastic, etc.

The present invention may be embodied in other spe cific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatablymounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, saidstorage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, firstand second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to supporta reel between said guide members, and said second guide member beingradially removable from said hub so that reels may be moved from saidstorage means onto said hub.

2. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said storage meansis a semi-cylindrical support memher, the outer peripheral surface ofsaid support member substantially coinciding with the outer peripheralsurface of said hub.

3. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said uprightsupport means is a standard, a frame, said standard being supported bysaid frame, and wheel means on said frame to render the same mobile.

Cit

4. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatablymounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, saidstorage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, firstand second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to supporta reel between said guide members, said second guide member beingremovably supported by said hub so that reels may be moved from saidstorage means onto said hub, said second guide member being a U-shapedmember having its free ends extending through holes in said hub, and theresiliency of the material of said U- shaped member biasing the freeends away from each other.

5. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said uprightsupport means is a standard, said hub being rotatably supported betweensaid standard and said storage means.

6. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 including an arm supportedfrom said upright support means in cantilever fashion, and said storagemeans being disposed on said arm, said hub being disposed between saidstorage means and said support means.

7. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 including a plurality oflevers, each lever being pivotably connected to said hub and biased toan operative position, each lever being connected to a cam adapted toextend radially outwardly beyond the periphery of said hub in anoperative position of said levers, said cams being adapted to contactthe inner peripheral surface of coreless reels to prevent relativemotion between the coreless reel being unwound and the hub.

8. An unwind stand comprising an upright support, a hub rotatablysupported by said support, a storage member', an arm projecting throughsaid hub, one end of said arm being connected to said support, the otherend of said arm being interconnected with said storage member, saidstorage member being adapted to support a plurality of coreless reels tobe unwound, radially outwardly directed guide members on said hub, andone of said guide members being removably connected to said hub tofacilitate removal of a reel from the support member and disposition ofthe same on said hub.

9. In an unwind stand comprising a rotatably mounted hub, a storagesupport member adjacent said hub, the outer peripheral surface of saidsupport member being substantially in line with the outer periphery of ajuxtaposed portion of said hub, said storage member being adapted tosupport a plurality of coreless reels to be unwound, radially outwardlydirected guide means on said hub, said guide means including radiallyremovable members which enable a coreless reel to be transferred fromsaid storage member onto said hub, and selectively operable cam means onsaid hub for contacting the inner peripheral surface of a reel on saidhub.

10. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatablymounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, saidstorage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, firstand second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to supporta reel between said guide members, said second guide member beingremovably supported by said hub so that the reels may be moved from saidstorage means onto said hub, said storage means having its outerperipheral surface coinciding with the outer peripheral surface of saidhub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,186,027 Olson June 6, 1916 1,403,123 Leedy Jan. 10, 1922 1,614,595 BoeJan. 18, 1927 1,917,641 Fairchild July 11, 1933 2,396,805 Schwartz Mar.19, 1946 2,444,780 Lathan et al July 6, 1948

1. AN UNWIND STAND COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEANS, A HUB ROTATABLYMOUNTED ON SAID MEANS, A STORAGE MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS, SAIDSTORAGE MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT REELS ADJACENT SAID HUB, FIRSTAND SECOND GUIDE MEMBERS ON SAID HUB, SAID HUB BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORTA REEL BETWEEN SAID GUIDE MEMBERS, AND SAID SECOND GUIDE MEMBER BEINGRADIALLY REMOVABLE FROM SAID HUB SO THAT REELS MAY BE MOVED FROM SAIDSTORAGE MEANS ONTO SAID HUB.